Tower Heist is becoming the Ocean’s 11 of movies with casts full of people you don’t mind, but aren’t that fussed about. A few weeks ago, we only knew that Ben Stiller would headline the flick, and since then Eddie Murphy, Tea Leoni, Michael Pena, Gabourey Sidibe and Alan Alda have all signed up. And now we can add Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck and Judd Hirsch to the list.
When Ted Griffin’s script was picked up several years ago it was described as ‘the black Ocean’s 11’. So while they’ve made it all a bit more multi-racial since then, it’s not surprising they’re trying to fill the cast with known names, even if they’re not quite of the calibre of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon – although Casey Affleck was also in Soderbergh’s films and now joins Tower Heist.
The film revolves around a group of employees in a luxury apartment building who, led by Ben Stiller, attempt to rob the scheming man in the penthouse (Alan Alda), who is under house arrest for fraud after stealing the employees’ pensions.
According to Deadline, Broderick will play ‘Chase Fitzhugh, a Wall Street guy who, like the building staff, had his finances cleaned out by the Bernie Madoff-like character played by Alda’, and so decides to join the heist. THR meanwhile has the news on Affleck and Hirsch, saying that ‘Affleck will play Stiller’s friend who also works under him in the penthouse but is a straight arrow and wants to turn Stiller and the other co-conspirators in.’ There’s no news however on who Hirsch will play, but he’s a great addition to any cast.
Tower Heist, directed by Bret Ratner, starts shooting in New York next month.